Filling controlling apparatus for jet looms



Sept. 16, 1969 J. H. NYDAM FILLING CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR JET LOOMS Filed Feb. 5, 1968 INVENIOR. JOHN H.NYDAM Qua/Mi AT TORNE I United States Patent ()1 ice Patented Sept. 16, 1969 3,467,147 FILLING CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR JET LOOMS John H. Nydam, Whitinsville, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to John Donald Marshall and Horace L. Bomer as trustees of The Carolina Patent Development Trust Filed Feb. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 702,880 Int. Cl. D03d 49/00 U.S. Cl. 139-116 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for inserting filling in a loom whereby a jet of water is released so as to strike and extend a length of prewetted filling through an opened warp shed. The apparatus including a full reservoir in the path of the running filling having an adjustable eyelet to vary the depth to which the filling may travel under Water with inlet and outlet ports for providing a constantly clean water supply. A yarn tensioning device adjacent the reservoir further controls the filling and will press out excess water prior to the pick being inserted to the warp shed.

Background of the invention (1) This invention relates to shuttleless looms where filling from an outside source of supply is inserted into warp sheds by intermittent water jets directed therethrough. More particularly it relates to means for controlling the filling being drawn erratically from large wound packages prior to its insertion into an open shed. This invention provides a combined conditioning and tensioning function to aid in controlling the fast moving filling to a degree not previously possible.

(2) In water jet looms of the piror art, the filling is withdrawn from a supply,'measured to provide a full pick and then propelled through the open shed by a jet of water released from a nozzle so as to strike the filling near its free end. This action, which may produce as many as five or more picks per second, provides two areas where incomplete filling control is a detriment to the loom operation. Even with the usual adjustable tensioning devices, filling withdrawn from packages in a start and stop fashion at the speeds required, will tend to whip about and possibly sluff off the package. This means that the measuring device may accept incorrect lengths or lose the pick entirely. The second area which presents a problem is that of the newly inserted pick prior to beat-up. The jet of Water, when striking the dry end of yarn, has little time to adhere and much of the volume of water and its propelling force are lost because it will precede the yarn through the open shed. In this case the pick may not be fully extended, with kinks or loops remaining in the shed. Also the free end may be nearly dry and, because of twist, may be sufficiently lively to snap back into the shed before beatup can take place. In either event cloth defects are caused by this condition and all add to the desirability for better filling control.

Summary of the invention The invention provides a water-filled reservoir through which the running filling will pass, with a yarn eyelet adjustable to varying depths within the reservoir for changing the distance that the filling will travel beneath the surface. Inlet and outlet ports provide a continual supply of clear water maintained at a set level.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages set forth above in both areas of pick control. The tensioninng effect from drawing the filling through a considerable volume of water and making an acute-angle direction-change has diminished the vibrations and whipping about previously caused by the erratic withdrawal. In addition, the yarn is submerged long enough for some water to adhere to, and be taken up by, the twisted strands which make up the filling. When the jet of water strikes the free end of filling, the positive cohesive action of water-to-water will take the pick its full extended length. Due to the moisture upon the yarn, the free end does not whip about as before.

It is a general object of the invention to devise a filling tensioning apparatus to maintain full control of filling being unwound intermittently with high acceleration.

It is a further object of the invention to provide tensioning to irregularly drawn filling by using the damping effect of a weight of liquid.

It is a still further object of the invention to devise a conditioning apparatus for depositing moisture upon the running filling to reduce its lively action when propelled into a warp shed.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as further details are disclosed.

Brief description of the drawing The invention will be described in greater detail by reference to a specific embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the left-hand side of a water jet loom with the inventive apparatus fixed thereon; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the filling controlling apparatus of the invention.

A portion of the left-hand end of a shuttleless loom of the type described is shown to relate the invention to the known operative mechanism. A loomside 10 has a bracket 11 secured for the support of a wound filling package 12 from which a strand of filling 13 is withdrawn for Weaving. In reaching the point of weaving the filling 13 is drawn through a controlling apparatus, generally designated 14 which will be explained fully below, then through two thread guides 15 and 16 to a measuring drum 17. The measuring drum 17 may be adjusted to withdraw yarn from the package 12 in predetermined lengths, each suitable for a single pick in the woven material 18. From the drum 17 the filling is passed through a nozzle 19 by which it is propelled into and through an open shed of warp yarns 20. Water is delivered to the nozzle 19 through a pipe 21 from a pump 22 connected to a water line 23.

A pick of filling is inserted by a jet of water being ejected through the nozzle 19 and striking the free end of the filling 13. The force of the water jet is sufiicient to extend the filling the full width of the cloth provided the filling and water adhere throughout the complete distance. With the filling in a dry condition as heretofore, much of the force and volume of the water jet was lost because of non-adherence. This would often fail to fully extend the pick and cause fabric defects as above-noted.

The controlling apparatus 14 includes a reservoir 24 of a considerable depth with an inlet port 25 connected by tubing 26 to the water line 23. Near the top of the reservoir is an outlet port 27 with a drain-off tube 28 inserted therein. This permits a continual flow of fresh water to circulate upwardly and to remove any foreign matter, such as sizing or lint. The water level will remain constant at the outlet port position. A thread guide 29 is secured to the upper edge of the reservoir 24 on the side facing the filling package 12 with the filling running through.

A bracket 30 is fastened to the reservoir 24 to support a positioning rod 31 having graduations 32 marked along its length for ease in resetting the rod to various depths. The rod 31, which is held generally vertically by the bracket 30 and adjustably positioned by a set screw 33,

has a ceramic thread eye 34 through its lower end below the surface of the water. At the opposite side of the reservoir 24 from the thread guide 29 may be fixed a yarn tension device 35 of a type whereby an adjustable tension is exerted upon the running filling as by a permanent magnet. This tension device 35 may not be required in all instances and might be replaced by some form of thread guide; however, when used, it serves additionally to remove excess water from the filling as it passes through. By placing the tension device 35 in the position disclosed, the excess water drains back into the reservoir and subsequently through the outlet port 27.

Variations in the depths at which the eye 34 is placed will provide a range of tensions suitable to control all counts of yarns. The pulsations of the filling, as it is accelerated and decelerated intermittently, will be diminished by the weight of the water and the angle of travel below the surface.

The filling will carry suflicient Water adhering to the twisted filaments so that the water jet from the nozzle 19 will take the end by cohesive action the full length of the open shed 20. The filling by being moist will have lost the lively tendency and will not whip back into the shed. The reed 36 will then beat-up the filling which will then be cut by any cutting means (not shown) and the cycle will repeat.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. For a shuttleless loom wherein filling from a fixed outside source of supply is propelled into warp sheds by liquid jets from a nozzle device, a means for controlling the filling between the source of supply and the nozzle device which includes (A) a reservoir containing a quantity of liquid therein and (B) a thread guide positioned beneath the surface of the liquid in said rservoir for guiding the filling through the liquid before reaching the nozzle device.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said thread guide includes a positioning member for maintaining said ithread guide at varying depths beneath the surface of the iquid.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said positioning member defines a graduated rod having one end adjustably submerged in the liquid, said one end having said thread guide fixed thereto.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said filling controlling means further includes a compressive type tensioning device for applying tension upon the filling subsequent to passing through the quantity of liquid.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said tensioning device is secured in overhanging relationship with said reservoir.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said reservoir includes an inlet port and an outlet port for providing a circulating supply of liquid, said outlet port being located higher than said inlet port.

7. The method of inserting filling into opened warp sheds in a water jet loom, which comprises the steps of:

(A) withdrawing filling intermittently from a continuous source of supply;

(B) wetting said withdrawn filling; and

(C) releasing a jet of water to strike and to extend the length of wetted filling through an open warp shed.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of Wetting said withdrawn filling includes that of guiding the filling beneath the surface of a quantity of liquid through a thread guide positioned therein.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, with an additional step preceding that of guiding the filling beneath the surface of the liquid, which comprises:

(A) adjustably positioning a thread guide at a desired depth beneath the surface of the liquid.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 combined with the step of:

(A) maintaining a continual flow of fresh liquid upwardly through and out of the reservoir for draining oif soluble and floatable substances therein.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 including the additional step preceding that of releasing a jet of water,

0 being that of:

(A) passing the filling 'as received from the reservoir through a compressive type tensioning device thereby removing excess liquid therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,298,369 3/1919 Milde 57-7 2,797,711 7/1957 Ballard 139-36 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,107,171 3/1968 Great Britain.

HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 139127 

